Nice to Aix-en-Provence to Avignon...

Another quick two days and I'm already through three weeks of my trip...how terrible is that!? Flying back to the states on Sunday, May 15th which leaves me 14 days in Europe, but only about 10 more on the road. Trying to savor every second but time marches on and I'm constantly on to the next thing...

Yesterday had me leaving Nice after a 2 hour beach session (was properly burned while reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"...a recent rec, perfect for me right now) for the town of Aix-en-Provence, which is just about two hours due west past Cannes and St. Tropez. I arrived late last night and was in the mood to treat myself to some good French cookin'. Little did I know that the restaurant I chose, Les Deux Freres, was one of Cezanne's favorites back in the day. The painter spent a lot of time in Aix painting Mount St. Victoire, the mountain just east of the city that I meandered down en route from Nice...lots of switchbacks and hairpins.

Anywho, so I arrived in Aix, grabbed dinner, set up camp, and woke up this morning to do a little more exploring around the city. After visiting the market, doing a little reading and a lot of people watching, I saddled my bags and took off for Avignon, where I'm now resting my bones. My on and off again friend, TomTom the navigator, failed me multiple times en route and what should have been an hour trip took more like 2 1/2. There might have been some pilot error, but blaming plastic is too easy. Avignon seems dece, but I'll have cruise some more tomorrow before I give it the thumbs up...

NOTE: Everything seems better in southern France. It's sunny every day, it smells delicious everywhere, the food is unbelievable, the roads are great, and the people look good....

NOTE 2: There's a karaoke bar outside my window tonight blaring some classic Queen and ABBA. Now how much do you want to be here...?

PHOTOS...

In case you forgot, this is the main drag in Nice, looking out towards the Mediterranean.

Stashed the bike here, marched down to the beach, got burned, winced my way back up...

French Countryside after leaving Nice...

Mt. St. Victoire outside of Aix

The little dots in the sky are hang-gliders...

Hairpin coming down Mt. St. Victoire...unknown why Cezanne didn't paint this

 Night time arrival in Aix-en-Provence

Some townhouse action...

In Aix, struck me as "just right..."

From Aix to Avignon...

The "Palais des Papes" in Avignon, once the seat of the Papacy

Apparently the largest Gothic palace in the whole wide world...

Schedule: A little bit up in the air...Avignon tomorrow morning and then possibly to Lyon or Geneva. Original plans called for a long ride to Andorra, but unfortunately are being scrapped for time purposes...